Yes, you read that right. The
title of this article is surprising. Isn't the Messianic Jewish
Movement a Jewish roots movement? Did I not write a book entitled Jewish
Roots? Yes. Then why the title? It is because some Jewish roots movements
are spreading mistaken theology. These teachings are creating unnecessary
dissension among believers in Yeshua. Many church leaders have distanced
themselves from Messianic Judaism because they think we too ascribe to
these misguided teachings. Just recently we heard of a pastor of a large
church in Midwest USA who wants no connection with Messianic Jews due to
offense from wrong Jewish roots teachings which influenced members of his
church. However, there are also right Jewish roots teachers and teachings.
So let's begin with a summary of the right teaching.

Correct Jewish Roots Teaching

Over a hundred years ago, a new stream of theology sought to understand the
New Testament from its original Jewish context. This stream was contrary to
the majority of liberal university New Testament scholarship which saw the
New Testament as a Greek cultural development that countered the Hebrew
Bible. After the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, understanding the New
Testament through a first century Jewish context increased greatly.
Saunders' groundbreaking book Paul and Palestinian Judaism started the
movement called the New Perspective on Paul. The quest for an accurate
understanding through the Jewish context is common today. A small sample of
this fine scholarship includes Davies' "Paul and Rabbinic Judaism" and
Skarsaune's "In the Shadow of the Temple", along with commentaries by
Craig Keener and Darrel Bock.

Many in this scholarly Jewish roots movement have embraced the destiny of
Israel as part of their theology. They connect to the Jewish people and the
meaning of the Biblical feasts without suggesting any legalistic
requirements. They recognize that Messianic Jews are still called to live
and identify with their people, and also that Gentiles who believe in the
Messiah are not responsible to take up patterns of Jewish life. They
clearly understand the apostolic directives of the Jerusalem Council in
Acts 15, as well as Paul's warnings in Galatians. These Jewish roots
teachers, books, and conferences are enormously helpful to us.

Mistaken Jewish Roots Teachings

Almost 50 years ago, the greatest Protestant theologian of the 20th
century, Karl Barth, decried the fact that American theology had declined
into paperback theology. What would he say today in regard to internet
theology! Every modern aberrant theology gains a significant following
through the internet. This is also the case with wrong Jewish roots
movements. Here are a few of the false teachings that, we should note, are
rejected by the mainstream of the Messianic Jewish movement. Some movements
combine several of these errors.

Error #1: that Gentile Christians are to keep the whole Law just
like Jews

I have called this error "One Law" - from the verse in Numbers 15:16 often
used to justify it. I wrote a paper specifically to address this.
Incredibly, these folks try to explain away Acts 15 and Galatians. They
claim that all are called to keep the Law in the same way. Of course this
is not only contrary to many clear New Covenant texts but also ends in
partial replacement theology since there is no longer any distinctive
calling for Jews. Some make an exception for circumcision for Gentiles,
while others amazingly find a way to even call for this. Galatians 5 is
very clear that Gentiles are not called to covenant circumcision or they
would be responsible for keeping the whole Torah. Paul is virtually
shouting to them, "Don't do it!" These same folks teach that
Christians must strictly observe all the Biblical feast days and the weekly
Sabbath. They have not been able to agree on a calendar system to assure
that exactly the right day on the annual calendar can be known for each
feast. In both Judaism and Christianity there has been much dispute on
this.

Error #2: that true Christians are the lost tribes of
Israel

In an amazing twist of the Bible it is claimed that true Christians are
physical descendants of the lost tribes who were scattered, this being the
purported reason they became Christians. It is their answer to the puzzle
of what happened to the lost tribes of Israel. As such they become "One
Law" as well. All of the texts stating salvation has now come to the
nations, and that the One New Man is made up of Jew and Gentile (Ephesians
2), are explained away. They expect to live in an expanded Israel - if not
now, at least after the second coming. Again, this is partial replacement
theology. The movement is divided on the issue of circumcision.

Error #3: that Christian holy day celebrations are pagan
abominations

We should note that three of the main Christian Feasts are really a
Christianization of Jewish Feasts: Passover/Pesach is celebrated as the
death of Yeshua on Good Friday, Early First Fruits/Bikurim as the
Resurrection, and Shavuot/Weeks as Pentecost. Yes, the Church should
connect these Feasts much more clearly to their Jewish context. But the
assertion that the Christian versions are pagan is painfully wrong. They
celebrate the events of prophetic fulfillment in Yeshua's life and
ministry, and the day when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the gathered
disciples. The days chosen for the actual celebrations, although different,
can be argued to be as accurate in their way as the rabbinic dating for the
feasts. These feasts celebrate Biblical events, and we should note that the
meaning is according to what Christians have celebrated. The origin of
Christmas as the date of Yeshua's birth is questionable at best,
though argued as correct by Messianic Jewish scholar Dr. John Fischer.
However, for pious Christians, it is the celebration of the incarnation,
not the worship of the Sun. So also worship on Sunday is about the
resurrection of Yeshua on the first day of the week, not Sun worship. The
origin of the choice of Sunday worship can be argued, but it has been
claimed as the day of resurrection for at least 1800 years.

Many do not know the rich experiences with God that Christians experience
in their heritage, both with regard to the resurrection and the glory of
the celebration of the incarnation of Yeshua during advent season. The
hymns, caroling and more are a wonderful conveying of Biblical truth.
Criticism brings unnecessary pain and disrespect.

Conclusion

These erroneous emphases have unnecessarily brought division, confusion and
pain: to their adherents, to Christians, to Messianic Jews and to Jews. I
trust that you, dear readers, will have the discernment to avoid mistaken
Jewish roots teachings, and to be enriched by those that are right on.

the
Holy Spirit helps us confess our sins, cleanses us by the blood
of Christ and restores our fellowship with the brethren. We know
we are walking in the light of Christ if we are walking in
fellowship with the body of Christ and the love of Christ. We
fulfill all the law if we love one another. Jesus said that all
the law is summed up in the first two commandments. Love God with
ALL your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your neighbor as
yourself. This is where those who try to follow the dictates of
the law fail like the Pharisees did. They try to make the outside
of the cup is clean but inside it's dirty. Their hearts
aren't changed by the life of Christ inside. They cannot see
that what comes out of their hearts is unloving and therefore
un-Godly because God is love and if we love God the commandments
are inside our hearts not simply on plaques on our walls.')